U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

June 19, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar’s “Rural Veterans Care Act” to Receive Committee Consideration

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs announced today that they will take up Senator Ken Salazar’s “Rural Veterans Care Act” (S.2433) Thursday. Senator Salazar was joined by Senator John Thune (R-SD) in introducing the legislation earlier this year.

The bill would establish a high-level office within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) to oversee procedures, policies and personnel with respect to rural veterans, and take additional steps to expand access to VA healthcare and other services for veterans living in rural communities. The Veterans Affairs Committee, on which Senator Salazar sits, will address the legislation and debate proposed changes to the bill before voting on it. If passed by the Committee, the bill would go to the full Senate for a vote.

“Nearly one quarter of the Nation’s veterans live in rural areas and the VA should tailor their policies to provide them adequate care,” Salazar said. “I am grateful to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee for putting this bill on the calendar. I intend to work with Senator Thune and the bipartisan cosponsors of the Act to see that our rural vets get access to the health care they deserve. Our Nation’s veterans deserve access to quality health care no matter where they live. It is clear that there is a need to better focus veterans’ healthcare policies on veterans living in rural or geographically remote areas.”

Because of the distance and other difficulties associated with obtaining care, many rural veterans put off preventive as well as necessary treatment. As a result, veterans living in rural areas are in poorer health and pay more for health care than their urban counterparts.

  • There are approximately 5.7 million veterans in the U.S. living in rural areas, including tens of thousands in Colorado.
  • Many of these veterans are forced to travel hundreds of miles to obtain care. In Northwest Colorado, for example, veterans must drive hours to Grand Junction for care.
  • According to a recent VA study, veterans in rural areas are in substantially poorer health than their urban and suburban counterparts. With an average U.S. health score of 50, urban veterans scored a 37, and rural veterans scored a 33.
  • More than 44 percent of U.S. military recruits come from rural areas. In contrast, 14 percent come from major cities.

In addition to creating an Assistant Secretary for Rural Veterans, the Rural Veterans Care Act would establish centers of excellence to research ways to improve care for rural veterans, and require the Secretary to implement a pilot program in areas with high populations of rural veterans to explore ways to practically implement this research. It would also improve rates for veterans seeking reimbursement for travel expenses related to VA medical care and codify policies on the use of fee basis care when veterans must receive care from third-party providers outside the VA.

The legislation enjoys bi-partisan support. Original co-sponsors of the Rural Veterans Care Act include Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Max Baucus (D-MT), Conrad Burns (R-MT), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Patty Murray (D-WA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Craig Thomas (R-WY), Daniel Akaka (D-HI), and Richard Burr (R-NC).

The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs will meet on Thursday, June 22 at 10:00AM EDT in room 418 of the Senate Russell building.

A complete one page summary of the bill can be accessed by clicking here.

 

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